Fact of the Month: Sigmund in numbers and years

Sigmund Groven has composed more than 350 tunes and songs. He has recorded over 250 tracks with various artists, as well as 30 albums in his own name. The music database Discogs lists more than 150 works/albums/songs that he contributed to as a musician, composer or producer.

He has received 15 national and international awards, scholarships or honorary distinctions, and was nominated for the Norwegian Grammy 5 times. This year he was made a Knight of the Royal St. Olav’s Order in Norway, an honorary award given by the King.

Concerts and tours are in the hundreds. A normal year could include as many as 60 concerts. Sigmund has performed solo concerts, festivals and radio and TV events all over the world; New York (Carnegie Hall), Tokyo (Casals Hall), Salzburg, Berlin, Munich, Brussels, Stockholm, London, Hong Kong, Quebec, Dallas, Minneapolis, Anchorage, Washington (Smithsonian Institution), Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, New Orleans, Toronto, Budapest, Belgrade, Athens, Riydah, Jeddah, Taipei, Seoul, Kyoto, Yokohama, Bergen, Oslo, Lillehammer, Paris, Barcelona, Dartington, Trossingen and many others.

2015 is a year of many anniversaries. It’s the 50th anniversary of his first solo performance – a radio concert in 1965 – and the 40th anniversary of his first album in 1975. It is also the 30th anniversary of the first Norwegian harmonica seminar, which Sigmund co-founded, in 1985. By the way, Sigmund’s first TV concert was in 1966, and his first national tour in Norway was in 1971.